..续本文上一页oceeding from a h, igh standard of morality. Find out for yourself. Moral discipline and training precepts are necessary, because if our behavior, actions and speech aren”t impeccable we”ll never be able to stand on our own two feet. Meditation without virtue is like trying to skip over an essential section of the Path. Similarly, occasionally you hear people say, ”You don”t need to develop tranquility. Skip over it and go straight into the insight meditation of vipassana.” Sloppy people who like to cut corners say things like this. They say you don”t have to bother with moral discipline. Upholding and refining your virtue is challenging, not just playing around. If we could skip over all the teachings on ethical behavior, we”d have it pretty easy, wouldn”t we

　　 Whenever we”d encounter a difficulty, we just avoid it by skipping over it. Of course, we”d all like to skip over the difficult bits.

　　There was once a monk I met who told me he was a real meditator. He asked for permission to stay with me here and inquired about the schedule and standard of monastic discipline. I explained to him that in this monastery we live according to the Vinaya, the Buddha”s code of monastic discipline, and if he wanted to come and train with me he”d have to renounce his money and private supplies of goods. He told me his practice was ”non-attachment to all conventions.” I told him I didn”t know what he was talking about. ”How about if I stay here,” he asked, ”and keep all my money but don”t attach to it. Money”s just a convention.” I said sure, no problem. ”If you can eat salt and not find it salty, then you can use money and not be attached it”. He was just speaking gibberish. Actually he was just too lazy to follow the details of the Vinaya. I”m telling you, it”s difficult. ”When you can eat salt and honestly assure me it”s not salty, then I”ll take you seriously. And if you tell me it”s not salty then I”ll give you a whole sack to eat. Just try it. Will it really not taste salty

　　 Non-attachment to conventions isn”t just a matter of clever speech. If you”re going to talk like this, you can”t stay with me.” So he left.

　　We have to try and maintain the practice of virtue. Monastics should train by experimenting with the ascetic practices,[6] while lay-people practicing at home should keep the Five Precepts.[7] Attempt to attain impeccability in everything said and done. We should cultivate goodness to the best of our ability, and keep on gradually doing it.

　　When starting to cultivate the serenity of samatha meditation, don”t make the mistake of trying once or twice and then giving up because the mind is not peaceful. That”s not the right way. You have to cultivate meditation over a long period of time. Why does it have to take so long

　　 Think about it. How many years have we allowed our minds to wander astray

　　 How many years have we not been doing samatha meditation

　　 Whenever the mind has ordered us to follow it down a particular path, we”ve rushed after it. To calm that wandering mind, to bring it to a stop, to make it still, a couple of months of meditation won”t be enough. Consider this.

　　When we undertake to train the mind to be at peace with every situation, please understand that in the beginning when a defiled emotion comes up, the mind won”t be peaceful. It”s going to be distracted and out of control. Why

　　 Because there”s craving. We don”t want our mind to think. We don”t want to experience any distracting moods or emotions. Not wanting is craving, the craving for non-existence. The more we crave not to experience certain things, the more we invite and usher them in. ”I don”t want these things, so why do they keep coming to me

　　 I wish it wasn”t this way, so why is it this way

　　” There we go! We crave for things to exist in a particular way, b…

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